Anna Essma of Girl Scout Troop 2876 in Guilford County has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for a community leadership and service project that prepares fifth grade students for middle school, teaching them organizational skills necessary for educational and future success.
Aiming to address difficulty for adolescents transitioning from elementary school to middle school, the Girl Scout Ambassador focused on educating students for her project, “Student Success Series,” that helps students learn time management, organization and study techniques as tools for success both inside and outside the classroom.
“Going into middle school can be an intimidating time due to the increased responsibility and workload, and many students lack the resources they need to begin this success early on,” said Essma, a Girl Scout of 13 years. “This inspired the goal of my project which was to create an easily accessible guide for students at this time. This allows them to feel prepared to take on middle school with confidence.”
Essma planned, researched and filmed a series of video lessons for her website, www.student-success-series.com, that she created to be easily accessible for teachers, counselors, parents and students to utilize. The videos were created with the help of volunteer actors in middle school to make them more engaging for the target audience and include topics like backpack and binder organization, note taking and highlighting, e-mailing teachers and more.
Girls in high school can earn the Girl Scout Gold Award by creating sustainable change on a community or world issue. They address the root cause of a problem, plan and implement innovative solutions to drive change and lead a team of people to success. Each Girl Scout must dedicate a minimum of 80 hours to planning and carrying out their project that benefits the community and has a long-lasting impact.
Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they are the leaders our community and world need, and those from the Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont (GSCP2P) council have created community gardens, addressed issues in foster care, combated bullying in schools and so much more.
“My Gold Award project impacted me by growing my love for helping others and advancing my leadership skills,” said the Girl Scout. “It has taught me to take initiative and stay persistent to finish strong.”
Thousands of Girl Scouts across the country earn the Girl Scout Gold Award each year, which first began in 1916 as the Golden Eaglet. Earning the Gold Award opens doors to scholarships, preferred admission tracks for college and amazing career opportunities. In 2025, 30 GSCP2P Girl Scouts earned their Gold Award.
To learn more about earning a Girl Scout Gold Award, visit https://www.girlscoutsp2p.org/en/members/for-girl-scouts/badges-journeys-awards/highest-awards/gold-award.html.
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